We'll Meet Again
by Miss Romance-Lover
Summary: Troy and Gabriella make an instant connection in their first meeting; but miss their chance to find each other again the next day. Years later they are still hoping to meet again. But are they looking hard enough?
1. New Year's Eve

**Hello, me again :) Well, I have now joined the alternate universe of Troyella stories, where the original story is changed. This story sees Troy and Gabriella meet at the original place – but what happens next is completely different...Please review and let me know what you think of the first chapter!**

We'll Meet Again

Choosing to avoid the teen party that her mother was so keen for her to go to in order to celebrate new year's eve; sixteen year old Gabriella Montez continued reading the book she was so engrossed in. Having waited until her mom had left for the adult party, she was now curled up back in the lounge of a ski resort in Colorado, at which they were staying during winter break. Gabriella was perfectly happy with staying right where she was. While many other guests her age were skiing, snowboarding and partying, she was a self-confessed bookworm.

Troy Bolton walked into the lounge, having escaped while his mother was busy ordering his father to change for the new year's party. He was supposed to be attending the teen party too, but it really wasn't his kind of thing. He found a free couch and flopped down onto it. Then he realised he was not alone. There was a girl, about his age he guessed, sitting on the couch opposite him. She was reading, so he didn't want to disturb her. But there was something about her that made him want to talk to her.

"Hey. You avoiding the kids' party too?" he asked, rolling his eyes and then grinning at her. As Gabriella looked up at him, her first thought was, _can't I just read my book in peace? _But when her eyes met Troy's, she was speechless for a moment. There was something about him. He seemed different, somehow.

So, she returned his grin and put down her book. "Yeah," she replied. "It wasn't really my thing." Troy chuckled to himself, thinking that he and this girl already had one thing in common. "Me neither," he said. Then he moved to sit beside her, and held out his hand. "Troy," he told her, hoping she would reciprocate.

Gabriella took his hand and they shook formally. "Gabriella," she responded, still smiling. "So, sad as it sounds, I blew off this party to read. What are your plans?" she asked him, interested as to why this guy wouldn't want to celebrate the new year like everybody else. Well, everybody except her.

Troy laughed again. "To tell you the truth, I didn't have any other plans. I just didn't want to go to that party," he told her. He was surprised at how easy he found it to talk to Gabriella, when he had known her all of five minutes. If he were even more honest, had his friends been here, he probably would have just gone to the party to save face.

She let out a giggle, "fair enough." Troy found himself looking into her eyes. They were a deep brown; the same colour as her hair, curly tendrils of which were framing her face. "So, Gabriella. Where do you live?" he asked once he had fallen out of his trance. She sighed, and he wondered what could possibly be so difficult about his question. He didn't have to wait long for an answer.

"Well, when this vacation is over, we're moving to New York. But before that, home was New Hampshire." Troy had a feeling that wasn't the whole story. Trying not to sound invasive, he continued on the subject. "You don't sound too happy about it, if you don't mind me saying." Gabriella wondered why Troy looked so interested in something that, to her, was entirely boring. It was her life; she was used to it.

"You're right, I'm not. You see, I've kind of moved...a lot over the past few years. My mom's company transfers her everywhere. So far we've also lived in Michigan, Georgia and Washington," she told him. "I'm sure it won't be long before we've been to all fifty states," she added, trying to make light of it.

Troy smiled at her, but her words had got him thinking. He was lucky that he had never been uprooted. He had always lived in one place, and had had the same friends all his life. "That must be hard for you," he said after a while. Gabriella nodded, actually glad to be talking to someone who not only seemed to understand; but who was also willing to listen.

"It is, yeah. I mean, at every new school I try so hard to re-invent myself. But I still end up as the math girl," she told him. Troy looked at her silently, a little confused. "The math girl?" he asked, not making any connection between this description, and the beautiful brunette sat beside him. "That's me. Some people prefer 'Brainiac', though," Gabriella replied, unfazed.

"I sort of know what you mean," Troy said, thinking about the people at his own school. "I live in Albuquerque, by the way. New Mexico. And if I had a nickname it would be the 'basketball boy'. I mean, I can't get away from it completely, because I'm captain of the team. But most people think that's all I'm about. Let me guess, the people who call you those names never take the time to get to know the real you?" he asked knowingly. It was something he was getting tired of himself.

Gabriella nodded immediately. "Exactly!" she exclaimed. Her eyes were shining with fascination. Even though, as captain of the basketball team, Troy obviously held a much higher social status than her; she knew that he understood. Another thing that was obvious to her was that he wasn't the same as any other 'jock' she had come across.

Suddenly, as they sat there smiling at each other and at their connection, they realised with a jolt that midnight was approaching. They could hear loud cheering, and voices counting down the last sixty seconds. Troy stood up, gestured towards the door, and asked if Gabriella wanted to go outside for the fireworks. She nodded shyly, as if she had just realised that she had been talking to a virtual stranger all night.

Just as they got outside, the last few seconds disappeared, and the new year had been welcomed. An elaborate display of fireworks appeared in the night sky, and Troy and Gabriella gazed at each other, each wondering what to say next. Finally, Gabriella spoke. "I should probably get going..." she said awkwardly.

Troy nodded. "Yeah, me too, I guess," he agreed. They both paused, thinking. He was debating whether to ask for her phone number; she was debating whether she should give it out. Both eventually decided it might be too soon. Instead, Troy settled for another suggestion. "So...maybe I could look for you tomorrow? Will you be around?" he asked hopefully. Gabriella grinned happily. "I should be. Okay, so I'll see you tomorrow, then."

With that, she slowly walked away and went back inside the building to search for her mother, turning back once to wave to him. He waved back, smiling to himself. They both had every intention of searching for each other at the lodge the next day. Unfortunately, fate was to intervene, preventing them from finding each other.


	2. Eight Years Later

**Thanks for reading and reviewing the first chapter! Here's chapter two...**

Twenty-four year old Troy Bolton took a sip from his coffee, trying to wake himself up before he had to head to work for the day. A sports teacher at a high school in California, he loved his job. But he wasn't an early morning person; never had been. It was approaching eight o'clock in the morning, and he was sitting in his local coffee shop.

His mind began to wander and he thought of someone who, even after almost eight years, still occupied his mind often. Gabriella. He didn't even know her last name, but in just one evening he had discovered that they shared a strong connection. Troy had looked everywhere for her the next morning, but she was nowhere to be found. And soon after, he and his family had left the resort. As crazy as he knew it would sound out loud; he honestly believed that if they had exchanged numbers or met up as planned, they might even have been together right now.

Troy shook himself out of his thoughts, noting that the time had somehow slipped away from him. Draining the rest of his drink, he rose from the table and left before he could risk making himself late. Little did he know that a mere two minutes later, a young brunette would walk into the coffee shop.

_**.HSM.**_

At the age of twenty-four, Gabriella Montez was now working as a nurse at a hospital in California. While Troy sat in the shop every morning with a coffee; she would stop by there to pick up her breakfast – always a cappuccino and a bagel. Neither of them had any idea that every day, they missed each other by minutes.

Gabriella had a good half hour before her shift was due to start, so decided to sit on a bench outside the hospital and eat there. This was her usual routine. Although she enjoyed her job, she often felt that there was something missing from her life. She was single, despite having had the odd good date. The truth was, she wasn't really looking. The one person she had ever felt any romantic link with, was the one person she was convinced she would never find.

Troy. The name ran through her mind as though doing so fulfilled some kind of purpose. But really it was because that one word was all she knew about him. Of course, Gabriella had learnt a few personal details about him that night. However, this information would only ever be useful if she were to actually see him again. A surname, address, phone number...those were the things she _didn't_ have. The only things that would allow her to locate him. The one thing he had mentioned was his home town – Albuquerque, New Mexico. But what was she supposed to do with that? With a sigh, she stood up and made her way inside, ready for the long day ahead.

_**.HSM.**_

"Troy, its been years. You're just going to have to forget about this girl. You can't resign yourself to being single forever," Chad Danforth said firmly. He was Troy's best friend, and if even he was giving out advice, Troy wondered whether he should just give up and listen to it. It wasn't that Chad was stupid; but he wasn't usually one for wise words, either. The two were sitting in Troy's living room, in the apartment he had lived in for two years.

"I hear what you're saying, man. But it's not that easy to forget her. I can't explain it," he replied. "I date; I try and commit to a relationship, but that's almost impossible when I'm constantly thinking about what could have happened with Gabriella." Troy sighed, fully aware that obsessing over this couldn't be healthy. But it was alright for Chad. He had been with his high school sweetheart, Taylor, since they were sixteen.

"Look, you keep talking about her, and what could have been. In fact, every time you meet someone or go on dates, this dream girl of yours is all I hear about. But have you ever actually done anything about it?" Chad asked pointedly. Troy had to admit that he did have a point there. Except for one thing. "Okay, you're right, no I haven't. But all I have is her first name. And the fact that she'd moved all over America. Who knows where she might be living now?"

_**.HSM.**_

"Honey, listen to me," Ms Montez said to her daughter. "I don't doubt that from what you have told me, this young man was perfectly nice, and that you liked him. But you were sixteen years old. The way you're picturing him now is the way you saw him all those years ago. It's unfortunate that you didn't get to see each other again, but you mustn't dwell on it like this."

Gabriella let out a long breath. She should have known that her mother would rationalise her feelings. She had arrived at the old house they had shared together ten minutes before. They had moved out to California when Gabriella had started at Stanford University, and it had turned out to be their final hasty move. Ms Montez had invited her daughter over for dinner, as she only lived a few streets away, in a small but cosy apartment of her own.

"I know, Mom. It's just that even at sixteen, I'm sure that what I felt that night was not just school-girl stuff. It was like we understood each other." She paused for a moment, wondering if what she was about to say was too cheesy. But it was how she truly felt. "Don't you believe in love at first sight?" she asked her mother. She fully expected her to laugh. Instead, Ms Montez put an arm around Gabriella's shoulder. "Oh, sweetheart," she replied. There really was no adequate response to that.

_**.HSM.**_

Living in the same proximity were two people who longed to find each other, each with absolutely no awareness that they didn't have to look far. There were still many things that linked them, just as they had first discovered a long time ago. And now, at the very same moment, Troy and Gabriella both pondered with the idea of setting out to find each other.

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	3. Impulsive Insanity

**Thanks again for reviewing! Enjoy chapter three :)**

"Troy, I know I challenged you to do something about this girl; but I didn't mean book a flight to New York! I'm starting to think you might have a screw loose." This was Chad's response to his friend's big decision. Troy rolled his eyes at him, clearly expecting a reply like that. "This from the guy who was so lovestruck he moved to California when his girlfriend got her dream job there," he stated. Troy and Chad were at their gym, getting ready to play a one-on-one game of basketball.

"I think we're talking about two different things here, man. The difference being that _I _know Taylor's last name. As well as the fact that we've been together for years!" Troy knew it had been a cheap shot. He was trying to justify his own actions, but realised that may be impossible. He had just booked a 'holiday' for himself to New York for the following month, and arranged to have two weeks off from work. Considering that Gabriella had told him herself that she moved around a lot, Troy wasn't necessarily expecting her to be there. But he had decided it would be a good starting point.

"Alright, point taken," he replied. "Basically you think I'm crazy, right?" he asked. Chad gave Troy a look that said, "pretty much." Troy was starting to wonder what had possessed him to let his friend in on his secret. He hadn't told anyone else. As far as his parents were concerned, he was simply taking a vacation. "What exactly do you plan to do when you get to New York?" Chad asked curiously.

Troy was quiet for a few moments. He couldn't give an answer, because he hadn't really thought it through yet. His only plan so far was to get there. _Maybe I am crazy,_ he thought to himself as he realised that he had no clue whatsoever what he was going to do in New York. He was flying across America to find a girl who might not even remember him, for all he knew. But he refused to talk himself out of it. He just had to try. If this search came to nothing, he would give up. If there was no hope of seeing her again; then, as Chad constantly tried to tell him, he would make himself forget about Gabriella.

_**.HSM. **_

The time before the day of the flight passed by excruciatingly slowly; as time often does when someone is waiting impatiently for something. But finally the day Troy had been waiting for arrived. His flight wasn't until the evening, so he was having breakfast at Chad and Taylor's apartment – they were going to drive him to the airport to check in after lunch. "So, Tay, any advice? Because quite honestly, I have no idea where to start. And please, I beg of you, _don't _tell me I'm crazy. Chad has already covered that area, repeatedly," Troy told his other best friend. He was surprised when Taylor, who was usually the most rational out of the three of them, smiled warmly at him.

"Actually, Troy, I think it's sweet, what you're doing. Romantic, even – if this girl knew what you were doing for her, of course, it would be even more romantic." Chad's mouth fell open. He had genuinely believed that his girlfriend would be impressed that he had given Troy sensible advice. He was further surprised when Taylor turned to face him, and sent him a glare. "When was the last time you did something that sweet for me?" she asked her long-term boyfriend. Chad threw his hands up in front of him in defence.

"Hey, what's with the third degree? Anyway, Troy himself pointed out that I moved out here to be with you!" he replied indignantly. Taylor rolled her eyes at him. "Did you forget the part where you begged me not to leave you first?" she reminded him. Then she turned back to Troy. "Then when he finally got on the plane with me, he said I should be grateful that he was coming!" Troy couldn't help but chuckle at his friends. Then he realised he hadn't been given the advice which he was so desperate for.

"Uh, Tay? Advice?" he asked quickly, before she could think of any other reason to continue bickering with Chad. Taylor's smile returned as she pondered his question. "Well, I think your best bet would be to get permission to look at the electoral register. That could tell you whether there were any Gabriellas living in the area around the time that you met her." She gave Troy a few more instructions as to how to go about this, after glancing up and seeing two blank faces staring back at her. Taylor was a lawyer, and knew what she was talking about when it came to just about anything.

_**.HSM.**_

Hours later, after saying goodbye to Chad and Taylor, Troy stood up from his seat at the airport as his flight was announced. When he boarded the plane, he felt a mix of emotions. He was excited at the possibility of finding Gabriella, or at least finding out more about her. But he was also worried that this trip would be a waste of time. Most of all, Troy felt an intense wave of sadness. Whatever happened next; it had been eight years. That was eight years that they _could _have spent together. He wasn't naïve. Nobody could predict what would have happened between them if they had seen each other the next day. And yet, Troy had the strongest feeling that Gabriella had felt something too that night.

So, here he was. About to do something that would either change his life forever; or close a long chapter in his life. Or, to put it bluntly: restore his sanity.

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	4. What If

**Thanks for reviewing. Here is chapter four :)**

"Gabs, are you really going to do this?" Rachel Myers, Gabriella's best friend, asked her. They were having lunch in their favourite restaurant, which was located right next to the beach. Gabriella had just confided in her friend that she had booked a flight to Albuquerque, New Mexico. She couldn't go immediately, due to work commitments. So she had arranged to take a few weeks of annual leave the following month. Looking up at her friend, she nodded seriously. "Yes, I really am, Rach."

Rachel had been hearing about the mysterious Troy ever since she and Gabriella had become friends. The two women had met when they had both began their nurse's training together, and had spoken every day since. "Gabi, I know you've got your heart set on this guy. But..." she was interrupted when Gabriella held up one hand and sighed. "Please, don't. My mom already tried this." She really didn't want to hear that she was just being obsessive - whether it was true or not.

"Actually, I was going to say that when you find him, he might not be as 'drop-dead gorgeous' as he was when you first met him," Rachel finished, grinning playfully. Gabriella rolled her eyes at her friend, then grinned back. "So you don't think I'm crazy?" she asked with relief.

"Not crazy. But you're certainly more of a risk-taker than I thought! So, what's changed? You've known about this guy for eight years. I've known you for almost six. And in that time you've always talked about this 'Troy' as if he was just a fantasy. I want to know why you suddenly have to find him!" Rachel demanded. Gabriella looked her friend in the eye and took a deep breath. All of the answers to those questions; and all of her reasons for doing this, were stored carefully in her head. Just as they had always been.

"Because, Rach, I'm twenty-four years old, and I've never had a boyfriend. And I know why. It's him. It's always been Troy that I've compared every guy to, which is why every first date goes no further. I can't stop thinking about what could have happened if only I'd had the chance to see him again. I just...I have to try. I just have to." As Gabriella finished her speech, she realised that a single tear was threatening to fall and she scrunched up her eyes to stop it. After a minute, she glanced up, waiting for a reaction.

Rachel moved her chair over to sit beside Gabriella, and reached over to hug her. It was obvious to her that the decision her friend had made had not been taken lightly, and that finding this guy was so important to her. "Then you go get him," Rachel told her firmly. Gabriella let out a soft giggle and hugged her back gratefully. "Thanks," she replied with a smile. _If only it were that simple,_ she thought. She knew that she wouldn't be able to just 'go get him'. The most she felt she could expect was to at least find out _something_ about him. About Troy.

_**.HSM.**_

One month later, Gabriella sat in the airport, her hands fumbling nervously in her lap. She was anxious, happy and excited all at the same time. More than anything she couldn't believe she was really doing this. A part of her would always remember the way he had looked at her that night. She was convinced that Troy had felt their immediate connection too.

And yet, another part of her; the anxious part, worried that he wouldn't remember her. Whether he had felt what she had or not, it had been a long time. What if she found him, and he laughed at her for travelling all that way on a whim? Even worse was the worry that he may not be the guy she thought he was. What if her mother was right; what if she was holding onto the memory of a sixteen year old Troy that was now, at twenty-four, not the person she had first connected with anymore?

_**.HSM.**_

Gabriella sighed. The hours until her flight to Albuquerque were dragging by at a snail's pace. She tried to distract herself from all the possibilities that were rolling around in her head. But as she searched around her with her eyes, what she could see only had the opposite effect. There were couples everywhere. One young couple in particular caught her eye. The young man had his arm wrapped around his girlfriend, and they were walking across the airport together. They both had a look of pure, unquestioning love in their eyes.

That was all Gabriella wanted for herself. She had seen that it was possible, caught a brief glimpse of it that one new year's eve. That was what this whole trip was based on. All she could hope for was that she could find some kind of answer. Finally, snapping out of her thoughts, she heard her flight being announced, along with another. And as she walked towards it, what she didn't know was that on the other side of the airport, one Troy Bolton was heading towards his own flight. They wouldn't be able to find each other on their separate trips; but neither knew that each of them was just as desperate to do so.

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**Next chapter sees Troy and Gabriella begin their searches...**


	5. A Missing Piece

**Thank you for reviewing, favouriting, and of course reading! Enjoy chapter eight :) **

Sitting in the back of a taxi, Gabriella peered out of the window and took in her surroundings. She had arrived in New Mexico about a half an hour before, and was now being driven into the city of Albuquerque. She really wanted to start her search straight away once she arrived there; but kept reminding herself that she had a whole two weeks in which to look. Right now the best idea was for her to go directly to her hotel and get some rest. Gabriella was exhausted after the flight and knew that a good night's sleep would be more useful for her. Because she was going to be one nosey tourist. She was going to visit as many parts of the city as she could manage.

Sunlight streaming through the window of her hotel room, Gabriella opened her eyes and began to wake up. Picking up her phone from the table beside the bed, she glanced at the time and realised she had slept for a full 12 hours. It was now early morning in Albuquerque, and looked to be a beautiful day. Deciding not to waste of moment of time now that she was here, Gabriella quickly dressed and left the hotel for the day, starting by walking to the nearest café for some breakfast.

It was while she was sitting, eating a bagel and sipping her drink, that she tried to determine where exactly she was going to go first. _Where do you go when you are trying to find someone, when all you know about that someone is their first name?_ What she did know was that Troy was about the same age as her. Therefore she could try and trace him through dates and years. Gabriella smiled as an idea formed in her mind, and upon finishing her breakfast, she went to hail the next passing taxi.

Luck seemed to be on her side as one stopped for her within seconds of stepping outside. "Where to?" the male driver asked simply, as she went to sit in the back. Gabriella thought again for a moment. Then she asked him politely, "how many high schools would you say are in the area?" She heard the man let out a sigh and had a feeling that he wasn't the patient type. Waiting for a response, she wondered whether he would tell her to give him a destination or get out of the cab. Thankfully, he seemed to suppress any feelings of irritation he had, because he gave her an equally polite answer.

"There are only a couple in the immediate area. If you're looking for the most well known, I'd go with East High. It's also the biggest." Gabriella thanked him and asked to be taken to the school he had suggested. It wasn't too long a journey, and before long they were pulling up outside a very large building. She paid her fare and then slowly made her way up to the entrance of East High school. She just hoped that whoever she spoke to wouldn't find her too strange regarding the questions she was going to ask. Gabriella headed straight for the sign that read, in huge red lettering: _Reception_. She was greeted by a tall woman with red hair that, oddly enough, almost matched the colour of the sign.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked warmly, offering her a smile. _Here goes... _Gabriella thought bravely as she cleared her throat to answer. "Yes, hello there. Uh, this is going to sound strange, but...well, I once knew somebody who lived in the area, and I'm trying to trace him. I'm looking for a Troy?"

The woman barely batted an eyelid, obviously waiting for her to continue. When Gabriella stayed silent, the woman replied with ease, "Well, I'm not permitted to give out personal information, but I can certainly look up names for you. What was the surname?"

Again, Gabriella was silent for a moment, before stating hesitantly, "well, that's the strange part. I don't know his last time. We only met the once on a first name basis. But I'm pretty sure he was around the same age as me." She then gave the woman her own year of birth, hoping that she would search the school records for anyone by the name of Troy who was born in that year too. "If we were the same age, he would've left high school in the year two-thousand and eight," Gabriella added.

The woman retreated into the office behind her to look through the records, on the understanding that she was unable to give out a date of birth if she found the required person. After fifteen minutes, she returned with a small smile on her face. "You're in luck, Miss..." the woman paused, waiting for Gabriella to reveal her name. Smiling back, she replied, "Montez. Gabriella Montez."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Montez. Well, there was only one Troy who graduated here that year. His full name is Troy Bolton. I hope this is your guy," she told Gabriella sincerely. _Troy Bolton. I hope so too_, she thought excitedly.

_**.HSM.**_

Troy had arrived in New York late into the night. He too had opted to go straight to his hotel, deciding to put his plan into action as soon as daylight came. He was now on his way to make an inquiry into the electoral register, after visiting a tourist information centre and finding out where he had to go. His cab driver was not the talkative type, so he was travelling in silence. This was fine with Troy, as he needed some time to work out what he was going to ask, or indeed say, when he got to his destination.

After another twenty minutes of driving, he found himself standing inside a very formal looking building and talking to a well dressed man who couldn't have been much older than himself. "Excuse me," Troy began. "I'm trying to trace someone who lived here any time from two-thousand and six onwards. Her name is Gabriella, and unfortunately I don't know her last name."

The man gave Troy an odd, yet curious look and replied bemusedly, "Right, well, first thing's first. I'm afraid I may not be able to give you any personal details, even if we do find the person you're looking for. But I can find the records from that year and look for anyone of that name." Troy nodded in understanding, as the man left to do so. As he waited, he felt a wave of excitement at the possibility of filling in at least one missing piece of the mystery surrounding Gabriella.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the young man returned and nodded in Troy's direction. "Do you want the good news or the bad news?" he asked jokingly. Troy simply raised his eyebrows as if silently willing him to continue. The man got the hint and said, "well, there is only one Gabriella on record of living in New York at the time you specified, would you believe."

Troy could feel a smile forming on his lips at this news, but waited to hear what else the man had to tell him. "But, the family requested that their details be kept off the register, except for names, of course. The full name we have here is a Gabriella Montez."

Processing all the information he had just been told, Troy wondered what he could do next. He still had no way of contacting her. But, if this was the right girl, he at least knew one more thing about her. Her full name. _Gabriella Montez_.

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**Next chapter – what will Troy and Gabriella do in the next steps of their respective searches for each other?**


	6. Giving Up

**I hope you are enjoying this story; I am loving writing it! I am also loving reading all your reviews, so please don't hesitate to tell me what you think, whether you have been reading from the beginning or you have just found the story. Anyway, on with chapter six :)**

Troy sighed in frustration. The excitement of knowing just one more small detail about Gabriella was now beginning to wear thin.

With a week left of his vacation, he hadn't managed to find out anything more about Gabriella other than her last name. Although it may have been enough information to keep up with the search, it now appeared that being in New York wasn't going to aid it any further. After that first day during which he had found her name on the register, Troy had spent the rest of the week scouring the local phone books for anyone by the name of Montez. No such luck.

He decided to take a break and use his whereabouts to another advantage: sightseeing. After all, the whole point of being on _vacation_ was to relax and enjoy one's self. And so far, he had accomplished none of the above. Troy also figured that if he stopped looking for a while, maybe something would happen. That was unlikely, he knew; but he was starting to become exhausted.

By the time his last full day in New York arrived, Troy had been to Central Park; seen the Statue of Liberty, and been to the Hard Rock Café in Times Square. While this had been - as the definition of a vacation promised – enjoyable; his main reason for being there was always on his mind. Which was why, as he checked out of his hotel and prepared to leave for his flight, Troy felt a familiar sense of sorrow. Two weeks of looking and all he had to show for it was one more word. _Montez_.

Well, that was it. He had promised himself that he would give up after this. It wasn't as if he could travel to every other US state until he found who he was looking for. _Damn_, Troy thought as he checked into the airport. _Now I actually have to take Chad's advice and forget about her. I have to get on with my life. _No sooner had he had this thought, than his phone began to ring. _Speak of the devil..._

"Hey, Chad," he answered flatly. His friend picked up on Troy's attitude and replied sarcastically, "I can tell you've missed me, man." At this response, Troy took a deep breath and tried to sound at least somewhat cheery. "Sorry. I'm just bored waiting for the flight back, that's all." Chad wasn't easily convinced, and probed his friend further. "Yeah yeah. Come on, what's up?" he asked.

"What's up is that I now have no choice but to stop looking for Gabriella. Whose last name is Montez, by the way. But what do I do with that?" Troy wasn't really expecting an answer here. But Chad attempted to give him one anyway. "Listen, Troy, I'm sure if I ask Taylor, she'll come up with something."

In that instant, Troy made his decision. He _had_ to stop looking. It was obvious that his friend was just trying to lift his spirits. "Thanks, but I think I should just come home. I'm done with this now, man. So don't worry, I won't be boring you about Gabriella again," he replied firmly. Deep down, he wasn't ready to let go yet. But he knew it was the sensible thing to do.

_**.HSM.**_

_Maybe I should just give up now_, Gabriella thought to herself as she finished looking through the current year's phone book for the Albuquerque area. There wasn't a single Bolton listed. The hope she had been given that day when she had discovered that Troy was a student at East High was now rapidly reducing. Because reading through this phone book was like finding out that the Troy Bolton she had met eight years ago did not exist. Obviously, he and his family simply no longer lived in the area. She had half expected it; but it now left her at a standstill. What other option was there now?

She only had two days left before she was due to fly back to California. She had managed to explore the city a bit during her stay, but mainly her focus had been continuing in her search for Troy. Now, Gabriella felt disheartened that there seemed to be no other trace of him. The only place that might be able to tell her more was the school. With this idea planted firmly in her mind, she quickly found a taxi and asked to be taken back to East High.

"Again? What's so interesting about this school then, Miss?" the driver asked in good humour. At the question, Gabriella realised that this was the same cab driver as the last time. She chuckled lightly, and replied, "oh, it's not that interesting, really. I'm looking for someone, you see, and the school has more answers than anywhere else here." The driver made an understanding noise and continued driving in silence. When they pulled up in front of the familiar large building, she paid the man, who told her, "good luck" - for which she thanked him politely.

Gabriella walked inside the entrance of East High school and headed straight for the reception again. She was hoping she could talk to the same woman as last time, and find out if there were any records as to what college Troy had moved onto. Unfortunately, as she approached the desk, she found a formidable, older-looking looking woman. Gabriella took a deep breath, before starting, "Excuse me? I was here last week. I'm looking for someone who was a student here, his name is Troy Bolton..." Before she could continue, a young woman who was walking past stopped her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I couldn't help but overhear. You're looking for Troy Bolton?" she asked with a smile. Gabriella looked up at her and saw that she had a kind face. She also looked to be around her age. As she turned away from the front desk, the other woman looked pleased that she wouldn't have to do anything herself, and left the two younger women to talk. "Yes, I am. Do you know him?" Gabriella asked hopefully. She got a nod in response.

"He was a friend of mine, we graduated here together. My name's Kelsi, by the way." She held out her hand and Gabriella shook it, before introducing herself. "Gabriella. Well, this may sound strange to you, but I met him eight years ago, when we were both staying at a ski lodge. We actually planned to meet up again, but it never happened. I only found out his last name a week ago, but I don't have any other information than that." Kelsi listened in fascination. Troy had never mentioned anything about this meeting to her or the rest of their friends at East High. But, underneath the basketball captain status, he was a very private person. So, Kelsi decided she believed this woman's story.

"It's nice to meet you. Troy and I lost touch after college, so I'm afraid I couldn't tell you where he might be now. But I can certainly tell you a lot about him," Kelsi offered. Gabriella was saddened that she was still no closer to finding Troy; but nonetheless was happy to learn anything new about him. She listened intently as Kelsi told her eagerly about the kind of person Troy was in high school. Everything she heard just left her more convinced that this was definitely the same guy. Basketball captain, yet decent and friendly; good sense of humour. Gabriella found herself grinning, and Kelsi realised that Troy must have made a huge impression on her.

As they talked more, Gabriella discovered that Kelsi worked at the school as a music teacher, and that Troy had gone to the University of Albuquerque on a basketball scholarship. "I wish I could tell you more," she said sincerely. Gabriella gave her a warm smile. "That's okay. It means a lot that you've taken the time to tell me about him as a person. It was nice meeting you. I'd better get going. And thanks," she replied. Kelsi waved to her as she slowly made her way out of the building.

She had gained more information, but as she walked along the pavement, ready to hail a passing cab back to her hotel; Gabriella was thoughtful. Sure, she now knew where Troy had gone to college. But if the school wouldn't give out his details, then neither would the university. She had felt connected to him again when she heard all those stories. And yet, she couldn't find a way of contacting him directly. Maybe it was enough to know that their feelings that night had been real. Maybe it wasn't worth doing anything else; as much as she wanted to.

**Please Review!**

**Next chapter, Troy and Gabriella** **return home. Will they keep looking; or have they really both given up on each other? **


	7. Moving On?

**Thank you for reviewing! Enjoy chapter seven :)**

"Chad, will you just leave it? I've already told you I'm not going to look for Gabriella anymore. Can't I just live a peaceful existence?" Troy asked his friend patiently. Chad gave him a look. _Obviously not..._ he thought wistfully. They were lounging around lazily in Chad and Taylor's living room. "Troy, it was just a suggestion, man. Besides, if you're going to forget about her, then sooner or later you're going to have to start dating again."

Troy knew he had a point. But even though he was giving up on Gabriella, he just didn't feel ready to start looking for someone new. Not yet. _What would it say about me_ _if I _was_ ready? _he asked himself. In his mind, having flown all the way across America; he had been totally committed to finding her. So being told to get over all of that so quickly didn't seem right.

"I will. Just give me time to think about it, at least!" he exclaimed. Chad rolled his eyes and secretly wondered whether Troy would ever really be ready to move on. For the most part of the day, he had been trying to convince his friend to begin meeting other women. Although, he had to admit, badgering him with the offer of numerous blind dates may not have been the most appealing of ideas. Troy had only returned home the day before; which was why he was finding this conversation a little overwhelming.

"I'm sorry, Troy. But remind me again why you're just giving up?" Taylor asked as she came in from the kitchen. She set down their coffee, and took a seat on the couch next to Chad – who gave her a look that said, "what are you doing?" She ignored him and kept her gaze on Troy, waiting for him to respond. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He didn't really want to go over this again. "Because, Tay, to find her...to find Gabriella, I would seriously have to fly all over America asking around. And by the time I've done that; another eight years could have gone by."

Taylor was speechless for once. She had seen the look in Troy's eyes as he spoke. His reasons made sense; but his heart wasn't in it. And she knew that pushing him on the subject any further wasn't going to help him. After a silence that seemed to go on forever, she spoke again, throwing a quick glance Chad's way first. "Well, maybe Chad's right. I know going on a blind date sounds a little..."

"...Desperate?" Troy finished, looking both of his friends in the eyes. Taylor smirked at him, then went to take a sip of her coffee. "No, actually I was going to say daunting," she told him. "But I suggest waiting a week or so, and then why don't you let me set you up with someone?" Chad spoke up before Troy could give her an answer, his face having contorted into one of annoyance and confusion.

"Hey, that was my idea! I was going to find him a date," he protested. She let out an amused giggle and rolled her eyes, then patted him gently on the shoulder. "Honey, it was never going to be a good idea for you to pick Troy a blind date," Taylor replied sweetly. She could easily imagine what his plan would have been. Find the nearest girl and say, "how would you like to go out with my buddy?" _I think not,_ she thought.

Troy had been quietly contemplating the idea during Chad and Taylor's banter. Finally, he decided that he had nothing to lose; so he might as well just give it a try. "Okay," he replied. "Alright, one blind date." _As long as Chad doesn't choose the date..._

_**.HSM.**_

By the time a few weeks had passed, Troy had been persuaded to go on several more dates. The very first blind date had indeed been set up by Taylor. It was with a colleague of hers, and Troy had anticipated that she would be an interesting person to meet; given her career. After all, he was always eager to hear of the cases that Taylor had dealt with as a lawyer. But it turned out that Lisa did not enjoy her job; and neither was she talkative in the slightest. If he had to be completely honest, she was just...dull.

He agreed to be set up again because he had been genuinely disappointed that the first date hadn't been a success. Yet, time after time and date after date; there was always something that wasn't right or something that was missing. He had been set up with women who were arrogant; rude; boring and even just plain friendly. But even on the pleasant dates, Troy was left feeling empty.

There was a part of him thatwished he could just find a switch in his head and turn off these feelings that wouldn't go away. Instead, he was suppressing them. Troy had now told his friends not to set him up with anyone else. To appease them, he pointed out that the right person would come along when he was ready to look for them. However, this conversation had ended with Chad and Taylor convincing him to go on just one more blind date. Which was what he was getting ready for now. He was just on the point of leaving when the phone rang.

When he answered the call, Troy was surprised at whose voice he heard on the line...

**So, who do you think is calling Troy? **

**Please Review!**


	8. Trying

**Thanks for your guesses as to who the mystery caller is! You can find out in this chapter whether you were right; but Troy's reaction will come in the next chapter. Enjoy! :)**

Sitting in her office quietly, Kelsi Nielson was deep in thought. It had been a few weeks since she had come across the young woman by the name of Gabriella. And the more she went over what had been said that day, the more she wanted to do something about it. She hadn't spoken to Troy for years; Chad or Taylor either. But seeing the look in Gabriella eyes, Kelsi just _knew _that her story was genuine. She was beginning to wish she had taken her details down.

The only school friends Kelsi was still in touch with were Ryan and Sharpay. There was also Zeke, who had been on the basketball team with Troy and was now engaged to Sharpay. Now she was wondering whether Zeke would know anything about what Troy was doing now, or where he was. It was worth a shot, she decided. Finding her phone, Kelsi went through her contacts until she came to Sharpay's home number, hoping that she could speak to Zeke directly. If he could give her a way of contacting Troy, she was going to do it. _He deserves to know that someone is out there looking for him,_ she thought.

_**.HSM.**_

Gabriella took a long sip of her cappuccino as she sat outside the hospital before her shift. She had been back to normality in California for about a month now, and had vowed to move on properly. But although she was perfectly able to go about her job and daily life just as before; getting back on the dating scene was still proving difficult. She knew it was a little strange, really. It was usually those who had been through a break-up that struggled to return to the dating world. Yet she had never been in a real relationship.

She got up from her seat and slowly entered the building, then approached the elevator to take her up to her floor. Inside was one of the male doctors, who she knew vaguely. His name was Sam. He seemed friendly enough, and always made polite conversation with her when they passed each other. He had even once implied that he wanted to take her out sometime. But Gabriella had shyly turned him down, claiming that she wasn't interested, but was happy to be friends with him. This hadn't happened, however; and ever since then all they had shared were awkward moments.

"Hi, Sam. How are you?" Gabriella asked him with a warm smile. It didn't seem fair that the poor guy should feel embarrassed around her. He smiled weakly back at her, glad of avoiding the usual awkwardness. "Not bad, thank you. And yourself?" There really was only one suitable answer to that question. The word everyone uses when they're clearly not on top of the world. "Fine, thanks," she replied. Sam didn't notice how vague her answer was, and, encouraged by Gabriella's kind greeting, spoke again. "I know I've asked you this before, but...do you maybe want to go out for coffee or something?"

Gabriella was about to try and find a way of turning him down gently again, when suddenly she stopped herself. She was supposed to be moving on. She could say yes for once; there was no pressure on a little coffee date. "You know what?" she replied as confidently as she could. "That would be nice." Sam grinned at her, and they arranged the date before going off in different directions, to get on with their jobs for the day.

A few days later, Gabriella was sitting in her usual coffee shop, waiting for Sam to arrive. He had offered to pick her up, but she had told him that it made more sense for her to meet him there; as she only lived a five minute walk away from the place. He turned up at the exact time they had planned to meet. They talked about general things - their careers; hobbies; their taste in music and books.

Overall, Gabriella couldn't complain. She had already known that Sam was a decent guy. They seemed to share a few interests; and she really would be happy to have him as a friend. But she was a romantic at heart. And for her, there was no spark. She felt no connection when she was with him. Which was what she tried to explain to Rachel on the phone that evening.

"Wait, Gabs. So you're telling me that there was nothing wrong with the guy? You got on well, he's a complete gentleman; but you're not going to date him again?" her friend asked in confusion. Gabriella sighed. "That's it, in a nutshell," she replied, waiting for the next question. Rachel simply responded with, "well, why?"

"I know you and my mom both believe that love and relationships have to be built over time. But for me...something should click almost straight away, you know? And it didn't, that's all," Gabriella told her. "It doesn't mean I'm not going to date again eventually." Even as she said this, she wasn't convinced. Because she had spent the whole date thinking of Troy. Of how she had felt that night. The truth was, she could only do her best to overcome those feelings. But they would never leave her, not completely.

**Please Review!**

**Next chapter: what will Troy do when Kelsi reveals what she knows?**


	9. Maybe Now

**For some reason, the ideas kept coming to me today, because this is my second update in one day! Here is chapter nine :)**

"Troy? It's Kelsi," said the voice on the other end of the phone. Troy was pleasantly surprised. He hadn't spoken to her in years, and he certainly regretted losing touch with his shy friend. "Kelsi! Wow, it's great to hear from you! How did you find me?" he asked.

"Well, I still see Sharpay and Zeke, and he gave me your number. It really has been far too long," Kelsi replied sincerely. "There is another reason why I'm calling, though. I work at East High now, teaching music. And there was someone there who was looking for you recently." Troy was perplexed. Why would someone go through his old high school to find him? Especially when he hadn't been a student there for over six years.

"Me? But who...did they say who they are or what they wanted?" he stuttered. Kelsi wondered what Troy was going to say when he heard this; considering that he was already surprised. She began to explain the whole story to him, hoping she didn't leave anything out. "I noticed this young women, about our age, asking about you at the reception. So I interrupted and explained that I knew you. I told her all about you. Well, everything up until after college, of course. She told me she met you a long time ago at some resort?"

Troy's breath caught in his throat. Could this be happening? He found himself unable to reply for the time being, and Kelsi took his silence as a sign to continue. "Anyway, she told me that the two of you were supposed to meet again, but missed each other somehow. It was just obvious to me by the look on her face that she was telling the truth, Troy. She said her name was..."

"Gabriella," he breathed, completely stunned. This time it was Kelsi who fell silent for a moment. She had a very strong feeling that what she had just told Troy meant a great deal to him; far more than she could ever have anticipated. "That's right," she replied simply, then decided to go on. "She didn't tell me much else about herself, but she hung on my every word while I was talking about you." Troy didn't know what to say next. Gabriella had been looking for him! At the same time that he had been searching for her, too.

Finally, he spoke again. "I can't believe it... Hey, Kels, what's your number? Can I call you back in five minutes? There's something I have to do. But then I'm hoping we can talk more about this; and I want to hear all about what's happening with you." Kelsi agreed, and they hung up. Troy then quickly dialled Taylor's number. The date he was supposed to be going on was with an acquaintance of hers, and he wasn't in any kind of state to be going now, after what he had just found out. Taylor was confused, but told him she would call his date and cancel with an apology on his behalf.

Troy felt a little guilty for effectively standing someone up. But he just had to hear more about Gabriella. Promptly, he called Kelsi back, and they spent the next few hours talking. Old times were mentioned; as were their present lives. But he hadn't been able to stop himself from asking about the girl that affected him so much, that he deemed himself incapable of dating anyone else.

_**.HSM.**_

The following day, Troy was filling his friends in on the phone call from the night before. Chad and Taylor listened intently as he revealed that Kelsi had been in touch – and that she had met Gabriella. "Well, that settles it – you and this girl are equally crazy," Chad stated. Taylor whacked him across the head in response.

"Chad! It's not crazy, Troy. It's romantic. So does Kelsi know where Gabriella lives?" she asked, genuinely pleased for him. Troy shook his head sombrely. "No. Kelsi told her all about me but then she just thanked her and left." _Why is it that every time there is even one shred of hope, the most important detail is still missing?_ he asked himself. Now he had the added confusion of wondering whether Gabriella actually lived in Albuquerque; or whether she had done exactly what he had. Travelled far and wide.

"Wow. Another dead end," Taylor replied thoughtfully, and Troy momentarily questioned whether she had read his mind. He was thankful that at least one of his friends was on the same page as him. "You know," she continued, "maybe this can help you in a different way. It could give you some closure. At least you can say that going to New York wasn't a waste. You may not have found her, but Gabriella was looking for you too."

Troy said nothing, taking in this suggestion. She had a point. Maybe, just maybe, knowing this could help him get over her for good. Chad cleared his throat, indicating that he had something important to say. "I think Tay's right, man. Look, I'm sorry if I could've been more supportive through this whole thing. But I guess I was wrong, because apparently this girl felt the same way you did. So now you don't have to torture yourself about it anymore."

This was practically heartfelt, coming from Chad. Troy smiled at both of them and slowly nodded his head, silently communicating that he believed they were right.

**Please Review!**

**In the next chapter, Gabriella continues to try and let go of her feelings; and Troy's date takes an unexpected twist...**


	10. Where Is She?

**Thanks for the reviews! Here is where it gets interesting, and by the end of the chapter the story picks up a much faster pace, so I hope you like it. Enjoy chapter ten :)**

Gabriella shivered as she walked along the street. It was a cold winter's day and Christmas was almost here; and she was doing the last of her shopping. There were still two weeks left, but she had always been this organised. But this year she had an ulterior motive for getting all of her Christmas shopping done early. She was going away for a few days by herself, before the madness of the season struck. She was leaving the following day, and was now fully packed and prepared for the trip.

She was going to travel back to Colorado by coach, to stay in the very same resort she and her mother had been staying at on the night she had met Troy. Gabriella was doing this for several reasons. One was that she wanted some peaceful relaxation and time to herself before the holidays. She also needed to revisit the place that held such a happy memory for her. But she was also hoping that going back there would give her some kind of closure. That she could finally move on and accept that it wasn't meant to be.

As she left the last shop, she breathed a sigh of relief that one part of the Christmas rush was now over. She headed to her car, loaded the bags in the back, and began to drive over to her mother's house, where she would be having dinner. Ms Montez didn't really understand why her daughter would want to go away alone; much less why she would want to go somewhere that would remind her of her long search which had come to nothing. But she did not question Gabriella as they sat and ate their meals. Instead, she studied her daughter's face intently before speaking.

"Gabi? You don't look happy," Ms Montez stated simply with a frown. Gabriella looked up at her, confusion now etched in her eyes. "What do you mean, mom? I'm happy," she replied. "It's almost Christmas; all my shopping is done, and this food is delicious," she finished, trying to make light of her mother's comment.

"No, that's not what I meant," her mother replied. "I don't mean how you're feeling now, this minute. I'm talking about whether you're happy with your life in general. I can see it in your eyes. You're not truly happy, are you?" Gabriella looked down and pondered this unusual question. The actual answer would be a no; but could she tell her mother that? She raised her head and decided that she had no choice, as it seemed that her eyes had already given away how she really felt.

"Mom..." she started hesitantly. "I'm still not completely ready to forget about Troy. But I'll get there eventually." Her mother smiled softly at her, wishing there was something she could do to help. Gabriella continued, "That's what this trip is about. Then I can start the new year afresh, and stop lingering on the past." She meant every word; but was aware that her hopes of moving on just like that may be too much to ask for.

The next morning, Gabriella set off for Colorado, bringing a book with her for the journey. She left a message for Rachel, to make arrangements to meet up to exchange Christmas presents when she got back. Then she switched off her phone and prepared to enjoy her break away. She couldn't help but feel some excitement at the thought of returning to the original meeting place of Troy and herself.

_**.HSM.**_

Glancing at the clock, Troy grabbed his keys and coat, and got ready to leave. He was about to make his way to a nearby restaurant for a blind date. Although he hadn't intended to have any more dates like that, the woman he was seeing tonight was the same person he had stood up on the day he had received Kelsi's phone call. So he felt that if he really was finally going to move on, it was only fair that he met this woman first. Taylor hadn't told him her name, and neither had she told her his. All he knew was that she was a nurse; and that Taylor had met her during a case involving a patient who was suing his own company for compensation. The woman had been the one to treat the man, and had helped Taylor to uncover the real facts.

As Troy entered the restaurant, he saw that his date was already sitting at their pre-arranged table. Taylor had told him exactly where to meet her so that they would have no trouble finding each other, as of course they had never met before. He walked over and took a seat opposite the young woman, who from what he could tell was probably about his age. She had a kind face, long blonde hair and blue eyes. Unsure of how to introduce himself, Troy tentatively held out his hand for her to shake, and she spoke first. "Hi, I'm Rachel."

Troy smiled warmly at her, and replied, "Troy. It's nice to meet you, Rachel. I'm sorry I had to cancel last time." He didn't notice the strange look on her face as she took in this piece of information. But she shook off the familiarity that the name seemed to have with her, and smiled back. "That's okay. It's nice to meet you, too," she told him. They began to discuss their jobs, exchanging small details about themselves. Rachel soon picked up on Troy's nerves, which were becoming obvious as he struggled to keep eye contact with her.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but is everything alright?" she asked him. "Sorry," Troy replied sheepishly. "I'm not much good at dating, really. My friends have set me up on quite a few blind dates in the last few months – I realise that's not exactly an appealing thing to be telling you," he added with a light chuckle. Rachel smiled at him in return. "I take it you're not really into blind dates?" she asked, to which Troy nodded in agreement. "There's a story to this, isn't there?" she pried curiously, waiting for him to respond.

"Yeah, good guess," he chuckled again. "Well, seen as you seem to have a sixth sense about me, I might as well explain it to you. I've been looking for someone; a girl I met a long time ago. It's been years, and I guess I'd always hoped that I'd see her again. I went to New York to look for her, but all I found out was her last name. I have no way of finding her, so I finally decided to let it go."

Rachel had been listening in stunned silence. Now she knew exactly where she had heard his name before. "You're not...Troy Bolton?" she stuttered in disbelief. After all this time hearing about him from Gabriella, now she could put the name to a face. Troy, on the other hand, was completely thrown by her question. "Yes...How did you know that?" he asked slowly.

"The girl you've been looking for, is her name Gabriella? Gabriella Montez?" Rachel continued. Troy couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He was willing himself to nod or at least do _something_ to let her know that yes, that was the name. That was the name that his heart wouldn't let him forget. Finally, after a minute of total silence, he managed to utter three words. "You know her?"

Rachel nodded, in a little shock herself. "She's my best friend," she replied. "She works at the local hospital, it's not too far from here." Now Troy thought he might actually fall out of his chair. _She lives here?_ he wanted to shout in delight. "I don't...I don't believe this. It's been more than eight years. I can't believe we've been living this close to each other all this time," he said.

"Gabriella's been looking for you too," Rachel told him, and he nodded. This much he knew. "Trust me, she's never stopped thinking about you, either," she said. A smile graced Troy's features; one that had never quite appeared on his face fully, not since that night. "Go get her," Rachel stated. She was growing more and more excited for her best friend, who she hoped would finally get everything she had always wanted.

Troy didn't have to be told twice. He shot up out of his chair, and then asked a question that he had asked himself every day for years. "Where is she?"

**Please Please Please Review! **

**There is now only one chapter left, and I also hope to add an epilogue at some point :)**


	11. Worth Waiting For

**Here is the final chapter. I hope it is worth the wait! I am planning on adding an epilogue on the end at some point, so if that would interest you then look out for an update :) Enjoy!**

Troy raced to his car, waving goodbye to Rachel on his way out of the restaurant. Everything had changed in a matter of minutes. He was going from moving on, to finding everything he had ever been looking for. In Colorado. He couldn't believe the coincidence of it; Gabriella being at that ski resort. But then, there was an even bigger coincidence that he was still trying to comprehend. She had been in California too. The one place Troy had neglected to search for her. In his mind, even considering that she would be that close by would have been too good to be true.

As he drove out of California, Troy suddenly realised that he was supposed to call Taylor and Chad. They had insisted he give them a full account of his date when he got home. Now that he thought about it, he was also expected at his parents' house the next day, ready to start celebrating a family Christmas. They also lived in California, having actually moved out there before Troy. He made a mental note to call everyone when he got to the first rest stop. Not that he intended to rest for too long. He didn't want to waste another second now that he knew where Gabriella was.

_**.HSM.**_

He had been driving for almost two hours straight when he reached a service station. He went to get a quick bite to eat and a coffee first, and then pulled out his phone from his pocket. "Hey, Tay," he greeted when she answered his call. "I know I was going to call after the date, but..." Troy was cut off when his friend began to reply quickly.

"Don't worry about that, Troy. I already know what happened. Rachel called me. This is unbelievable!" she exclaimed. _Tell me about it..._ Troy thought. "How long have you been driving?" Taylor added, knowing full well that he would have left for Colorado straight away upon his discovery. Troy had no idea what time it was, and neither did he have any inkling as to what time it had been when he had left. "A couple of hours, I think. I can't believe this is really happening," he told her.

Taylor was smiling to herself at his words as she stood in her hallway. Just as she was on the point of replying, Chad arrived downstairs, and silently mouthed to his girlfriend. "Is that Troy?" She nodded and said into the phone, "well, it is happening. So just go for it." Then she turned back to her boyfriend and whispered to him as she briefly covered the earpiece of the phone. "He's going to find her!" Chad surprised himself by grinning back. After all, he had been hearing about Gabriella since high school – he had initially been the only person Troy had confided in.

Chad and Taylor offered him a few more words of encouragement and support, then hung up. Next, Troy dialled his parents' number. He had never brought any of this up with them before, so he didn't know what they would say. Mrs Bolton answered on the second ring. "Hello?" Troy took a deep breath and tried to think of a way to brief his mother on what was a very long and complicated story. "Mom, it's me. I'm not going to be able to make it over tomorrow. There's...something I have to do," he explained. He knew he was going to have to come up with a better excuse than that, though.

"What are you talking about, Troy? It's almost Christmas, what could you possibly have to do that can't wait? Don't tell me you've not finished your Christmas shopping," his mother replied sternly. He let out a chuckle. He hadn't finished it, as it happened. But that was the last thing on his mind right now. "Actually, mom, it's bigger than that. Much bigger," he said seriously. "You remember that one new year when we stayed in Colorado? You said that after that trip you noticed something different about me. Well, there was. I met this girl, and I...I haven't been able to stop thinking about her since. I've been looking for her, mom. And now I finally know where she is; so that's where I'm going. She's in Colorado right now."

There was silence on the other end of the phone as, Troy imagined, his mother tried to get her head around all of this. Then, she spoke quietly. "Troy, honey, I wish you'd told us this before. But if this is going to make you happy, then you do what you have to. Just drive carefully, okay? It's a long journey." He smiled, relieved that she hadn't laughed or told him to stop messing around. This was the most meaningful thing he had ever done. "I will, mom. And thanks. I'll call you later."

_**.HSM.**_

Troy walked back to his car and set off once again. As he kept his eyes on the road ahead, his mind wandered back to one of the moments of that night that he remembered the most.

_Troy grinned at the young brunette as he realised that they seemed to understand each other exactly. Was it just the fact that they seemed to have a lot in common; or was there more to it than that? He couldn't help but feel connected to her in this moment. Gabriella was smiling back at him and he wondered if she had just been having the same thoughts. He was still in a daze when he heard everyone around them counting down to midnight. The moment the two had been having faded, and as they reacted to the approaching new year, shyness overcame each of them once again._

Troy knew that having such deep and philosophical feelings like that were somewhat unusual for a teenage boy. So he had known all along that whatever it was that he had felt when he had looked into Gabriella's eyes, it was real. And once he had returned home, and gone back to school; he found himself unable to do what so many of his other friends and team mates did so easily: date an endless string of girls without so much as a care in the world. Because something had changed in him that night. And he believed he had changed for the better.

Now here he was, more than eight years later, returning to the scene of that change. He couldn't stop all the feelings that were flooding back. And he didn't want to.

_**.HSM.**_

Troy was now beginning to feel nervous. Even though she had been looking for him too. Even though this had to mean that she felt the same way. But would it be the way he had always imagined it? Maybe they both still wanted to be together after all this time; but what if the things they had in common at sixteen simply didn't exist anymore?

Then, he stopped himself from elaborating any further on this thought. It wasn't just the fact that they were both misunderstood souls in high school that linked them together. What linked himself to Gabriella was that they were both sensitive. And even from just the one conversation, Troy had been able to tell that they shared the same sense of humour. His anxiety slowly melted away as he held onto those thoughts. _Just keep driving,_ he told himself. He refused to let himself consider any more doubts about this. It was time to meet her again._ Gabriella. _

_**.HSM.**_

Gabriella was sitting in the lounge of the resort. The same lounge she had been in when she had first discovered that love at first sight just might exist. She was reading; so engrossed in her book that she had not moved for an hour so far. She had been in Colorado for two days now, and her plan of rest and relaxation was going well. The other part of the plan, which was to gain closure; this wasn't going so well. Or rather, it wasn't working at all. Everywhere she turned, a memory of him came back to her. Of course, they were all pleasant memories. But they weren't a useful contribution to her intentions of moving on. Quite why, then, she was sitting in the lounge where she and Troy had met, she wasn't entirely sure. But Gabriella didn't want to leave now that she was in there.

The very first memory she had of Troy suddenly floated to the surface of her mind. She had been reading then too, and recalled how initially, she was annoyed at having been disturbed.

_Oh, great. Now some guy is trying to talk to me. What do I have to do to get some peace around here? Gabriella thought as she raised her head at the sound of the male voice. This thought vanished when she was met with a pair of bright blue eyes, which sparkled as they stared back at her. Maybe peace can wait a while, she thought as she set her book down and began to talk to the young man._

Gabriella grinned to herself, remembering how surprised she had been when she had looked up to see the friendly face, and had instantly relaxed as she instinctively knew that Troy wasn't like every other guy. Now she forgot all about her book and became carried away with her thoughts. After a while she decided to check her messages, as she hadn't turned her phone on since she had arrived.

She expected a few messages, but not the twenty missed calls she had received, which started from the previous night. They were all from Rachel, and Gabriella stood up to head outside so that she could call her friend and find out what all the fuss was about. She turned around so that she was facing the door to the lounge, but just as she was about to walk over to it, she froze to the spot. Someone was standing in the doorway. And they weren't moving either. Only it wasn't just 'someone'. It was him. It was Troy. _Troy._

Gabriella had to remind herself to breathe as she saw him move closer to her. Their eyes were locked on each other's. His eyes were a little older, but it was Troy, that she knew without a single doubt in her mind. Before she had a chance to even attempt to react, there he was standing in front of her. He didn't say a word, either – because what she didn't know was that now that this moment was here, Troy was feeling as overwhelmed as she was.

Finally, Gabriella managed to speak. "It's you," she whispered tearfully, but without breaking eye contact with him. Troy responded with a small nod, then offered her his hand. She raised hers in return and they found themselves linking fingers as they stood opposite each other. They may not have seen each other in years; but both instinctively knew that a handshake would be far too formal for them. They had never considered each other as mere acquaintances.

"Gabriella," Troy said softly. He didn't know if it was a statement or a question. He still couldn't believe his eyes. She gently squeezed his hand by way of reassuring him that this was real. Maybe she was reassuring herself of the same thing. "I've been hoping that this day would come for eight years," he told her, with such sincerity that she could see she would never have to question it.

Gabriella didn't know how else to answer. "Me too...I thought of nothing else." As they let go of each other's hands, they slowly walked over to sit down. Troy smiled at her and said, "Troy Bolton," re-enacting their very first meeting. "Gabriella Montez," she replied, unable to stop the grin that was spreading across her whole face.

Troy waited a few moments, then leaned slowly towards her and placed a soft, gentle kiss on her cheek. But as he was about to move away, Gabriella turned her head so that she was facing him, and moved towards him so that their lips were lightly touching. And that's when he kissed her – a kiss that she did not hesitate to respond to even for half a second. It was a soft, yet passionate kiss that allowed each of them to show the other just how deep their feelings were. Gabriella wound her arms around Troy's neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist. When they pulled back, still holding onto each other, they each had just one other thing they wanted to say to each other. Without realising, they spoke in unison, and ended up telling each other the very same thing. "This was so worth waiting for."

_We'll meet again,_

_Don't know where,_

_Don't know when..._

- Dame Vera Lynn

**And there you have it! Hope you liked it; please let me know what you thought by leaving a review. Thank you :)**


	12. Epilogue

**Well, this is officially the end of this story! Thank you once again for all the reviews and feedback. I absolutely loved writing this story! So, here it is, the epilogue and closing chapter of _We'll Meet Again_... Enjoy :) **

Twenty-six year old Gabriella Montez smiled to herself as she woke up in the apartment she shared with her boyfriend of almost two years. _B__oyfriend._ These days, the word rolled off her tongue easily. She still savoured those moments. Being in a relationship, being loved; she hadn't known any of it before him. One Troy Bolton. As she turned to her left, she saw that his side of the bed was empty. But she could hear him pottering about in the kitchen. Then she remembered what today was. It was her birthday.

Just as Gabriella was pondering whether to get up and investigate as to what Troy was doing, the man himself entered their room, carrying a tray full of breakfast items. "Good morning!" he said cheerfully as he set down the tray – which had on it a plate of French toast, a croissant, and a glass of orange juice. "Happy birthday," Troy added, giving Gabriella a soft kiss on the top of her head. She smiled fondly at him when she saw all the effort he had gone to, letting her sleep in and bringing her breakfast in bed. "Thank you. This looks great, Troy," she replied.

"You're welcome. Now, just in case you're not fully awake yet, would you like me to sing happy birthday to you?" he asked with a playful grin. He didn't wait for her to answer, and began to sing very loudly and purposefully off key. "No! Oh, please stop before you break all our windows," Gabriella yelled over him, trying not to laugh. Troy feigned shock at her 'insult', then grinned at her. He had been right all those years ago about the two of them sharing the same sense of humour. They made each other laugh, and Gabriella always had a witty comeback to put Troy's way after he made a joke or sarcastic comment.

"Okay, point taken, no more singing for me," he said as she began to dig into her breakfast. He watched her eat, then smiled as she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, as if saying a silent thank you. Then, she laid back on the bed, propping herself up with the pillows. "What you are you thinking about?" Troy asked gently, wondering if there was anything wrong. He was relieved when Gabriella gave him a reassuring bright smile in response. "Us. Just thinking about us. Come here and lie with me for a bit." He went to join her on the bed, letting her roll towards him and cuddle into his side.

"So, what about us?" he asked curiously. Gabriella looked thoughtful for a moment, as if trying to figure out how to express what she was feeling. "Well, I was just thinking about how long it took to find you," she told him seriously. Troy often thought about the subject himself, but decided to play on her choice of wording. "I believe it was I who found you, Miss Montez," he stated with a wink. Gabriella nudged him in return, and continued telling him about her musings. "Alright alright, so you did Bolton. But that wasn't my point. I was just thinking about how lucky I feel right now. A couple of years ago, I'd convinced myself that I would never see you again."

He reached out a hand to stroke her cheek gently, and replied, "I feel pretty lucky too. I was so certain that I was in love with you, even though I'd only seen you once." Troy had been planning on saying all of this later anyway. He was going to surprise Gabriella by taking her out for a birthday dinner, and then do something else that he had been preparing to do for the past few weeks. But he hadn't expected to be having this meaningful conversation right now. So he decided to be as spontaneous as the subject matter. She was beaming up at him after his last comment, and now he gave her another, mysterious wink as he jumped up from the bed and walked out of their room, calling out, "wait here."

He quickly found his coat, inside the pocket of which he had hidden a very special gift. He had been keeping it with him at all times since he had picked it up a week ago, and it was only the night before that he had decided to risk leaving it in his coat, after Gabriella had gone to bed. Now, he grabbed the small, square shaped box and raced back to their bedroom, where his slightly confused girlfriend was waiting. Troy clasped the box tightly in one hand and kept it out of her view while he climbed back onto the bed next to her. Then, he began to speak again.

"Gabriella, when I was looking for you, I was the epitome of everything soppy, corny and cheesy. If you were to ask Chad, he would roll his eyes and tell you how I would never shut up about you. I couldn't help it; you were always on my mind. Finding you was the happiest moment of my life, and being with you these past two years has been amazing. Every second of it." Gabriella couldn't tear her eyes away from Troy. His eyes said it all. She knew she was going to remember this for the rest of her life. "I've loved you for almost ten years, ever since I laid eyes on you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you," he told her.

Bringing his hand in front of him he revealed the box to her. Then, even though she had already guessed what was coming, Gabriella gasped as he once again got off of the bed and slowly knelt down in front of her. Troy opened the box and she instantly recognised the ring inside it. She had spotted it a few months back in a shop window and pointed it out to him. Not because she was in any way anticipating a proposal; but because this ring was the exact design of her grandmother's wedding ring, which she had admired so many times before while she was growing up. Her eyes filled with tears as she realised that Troy had remembered all of this.

Troy removed the ring from it's box, held it up with one hand, and then took hold of Gabriella's with the other. "I started one new year by meeting the love of my life – and I had to wait another eight years before I could see her again. You're the one I want to start every new year with. Baby, will you marry me?" Gabriella found herself unable to respond vocally, though every part of her brain was screaming out the loudest 'yes'. She was overwhelmed at what was now the most beautiful and romantic moment of her life. She nodded her head at him until she was sure that he understood her answer, and then launched herself into his arms, still crying with pure happiness.

Troy waited until she had regained her composure, and then carefully began to slide the ring onto her finger. "I love you, Troy," she told him as he did so. He leaned towards her and kissed her gently on the lips, before replying, "And I love you, Gabriella. Hey, look a little closer," he told her as he held the hand that her new engagement ring sat on. She did as he said and saw that there was a tiny, simple engravement. It said: _Love at first Sight._ She felt herself beginning to get emotional again, and within seconds the tears were falling again.

"Hey, what is it? I didn't mean to make you cry again," Troy said softly. Gabriella looked up at him and took a long breath, trying to make herself stop crying so she could explain. "I'm sorry, I'm only crying because it's just so perfect. It's exactly what I used to say about meeting you." He smiled at her, and his response was simple. "And it's the truth."

_**.HSM.**_

It was new year's eve, and a newly-wed Gabriella Bolton was sitting in her husband's car, waiting for him to load the rest of their luggage in the back. They had just come from their wedding reception, and Troy had informed her that he was driving them to their honeymoon destination – the whereabouts of which were still unknown to her. And no amount of nagging on her behalf was going to get him to tell her. Finally, Troy climbed into the driver's seat and they were ready to set off.

"So you're really not going to tell me where you're taking me?" she asked him one more time. Troy winked playfully, knowing that this was driving her crazy; but also knowing that keeping this a secret would be worth it when they got there. "Nope. Sorry, Gabi, it's a surprise," he said firmly. Sensing that he wasn't going to give in, Gabriella replied with a pout, "fine," making him chuckle. "Can you believe we did it? We're actually married now," she exclaimed excitedly.

"I know, and it feels amazing, Mrs Bolton," Troy replied, wanting to steal a glance at his wife. But as he was driving, he settled for a quick squeeze of her hand, before placing his other hand back on the steering wheel. Gabriella giggled in delight at the sound of her new name, then sighed. "Oh, please tell me where we're going!"

_**.HSM.**_

"We're almost there, just close your eyes," Troy instructed as he pulled up at their destination. Even though she was desperate to look, Gabriella played along and closed her eyes. Troy then parked the car, got out, and opened the door for her, taking her by the hands and leading her towards the building they were going to be staying in. As they entered, he told her quietly, "Okay, now you can open your eyes."

"Oh my..." she started, taking in the sight around them. It was the ski resort. _Their_ ski resort. Troy had driven them all the way up to Colorado; a trip he had last time made alone. "Oh Troy, I can't think of any better place to ring in the new year with you," Gabriella whispered, clutching his hand. He simply smiled fondly at her, feeling just as happy to be there with her. After all, if not for this resort, they would never even have met.

When evening fell, Troy took Gabriella out for dinner, returning with enough time to spare before midnight. They headed straight for the lounge, wanting to relive the memories they shared of not only their sixteen year old selves, setting eyes on each other for the first time; but of that day only a few years ago, when they were reunited. But, of course, today was a very special anniversary.

"Ten years ago tonight..." Gabriella sighed happily as they sat down together. She closed her eyes and for a few brief moments, she went back to that night in her mind. She remembered every detail, everything they had said to each other; every moment. "Happy anniversary, Gabi," Troy told her as he recalled how he had felt when he had first spotted her, and plucked up the courage to talk to her. "Troy?" she asked as they relaxed against each other on the couch. "If you could go back and talk to your teenage self, what would you say?" He thought for a moment. It was an unusual comment; yet Troy understood exactly where she was coming from. "I'd tell him that even if it takes a while, he will see that gorgeous brunette beauty again. And I'd tell him to ignore Chad's mostly unhelpful comments..." he replied. Gabriella had to laugh at the last answer. "What about you?" Troy asked her.

"I think I'd tell her to hold out for her first love. Because it was definitely worth it," she stated with a smile. Troy was just about to place a tender kiss on her cheek when they heard something that once again transported them back to ten years before. It was the sound of loud cheering and a countdown. Looking around them they realised that they were the only ones in the room. Troy and Gabriella were about to celebrate another new year together – this time as Mr and Mrs Bolton. _"3, 2, 1...Happy new year!" _came the cheers as the clock struck twelve. The couple stood up and walked over to the window of the lounge to watch the fireworks that were on their way. Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella from behind, and that's where they stayed for several minutes. Tightly embracing as they silently thanked fate for bringing them together.

They were still absorbed in watching the firework display when a man entered the lounge, calling out, "happy new year!" Troy and Gabriella returned his greeting, and he introduced himself as the resort manager. "We've got karaoke going on downstairs after the fireworks finish, if you're interested?" he offered. They both looked at each other and shared a look of mutual reluctance. "Thanks, but we're good here," Troy replied politely. The man replied, "Fair enough. Enjoy your evening!" he said cheerfully. Then, before he left the room, he added, "But I will say that a lot of people who are persuaded to do karaoke here, are usually thankful that they sang." With that last remark, he was gone.

"We already have plenty to be thankful for, don't we," Troy stated, placing a soft kiss in Gabriella's hair as he held her in his arms. "You're right," she replied. "We have everything to be thankful for." She turned around in her husband's arms and kissed him, pouring every ounce of love she felt for him into that kiss. And as they celebrated the new year and their marriage, they knew they were also celebrating something else. The fact that they had been able to meet again.

**Please Review!**


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